Carrying handle for golf bag



I United States Patent [1113,548,905

[72] Inventor Howard J. Renshaw [56] References Cited Yardley UNITED STATES PATENTS f 3 1968 2,034,394 3/1936 116116 l50/l.5(A) [221 ed d 3 1 2,091,298 8/1937 Agnew 150/l.5(A) [451 C 60 2,422,218 6/1947 Bauer l50/1.5(A) [731 Ass8m y 2,752,973 7/1956 Stamp l50/l.5(A) we 2,861,614 11/1958 Kish,.1r.... 150/l.5(A) M 1,203,095 10/1916 Bristow l/l.5(A) 1,607,275 11/1926 Hettrick l50/l.5(A)

Primary Examiner-Joseph R. Leclair Assistant Examiner-Steven E. Lipman 1 1 CARRYING HANDLE FOR GOLF BAG Attomey-Ostrolenk, Faber, Gerb and Soffen 5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

ABSTRACT: A carrying handle for a golf bag is incorporated [52] 11.8. CI 150/1.5 into the carrying sling structure, and is formed of a taut strap [51 Int. A63b /00 held relatively close to the golf bag body, the strap having one [50] Field of Search 1 .5, l2, end connected to the upper cuff of the golf bag, and its bottom end connected to a portion of the carrying sling harness.

PATENTED 00:22 I978 l N VEN TOR.

Hawaeo J. BEA/SHAW CARRYING HANDLE FOR GOLF BAG This invention relates to golf bags, and more particularly relates to a carrying handle for golf bags. Golf bags are commonly provided with a carrying handle connected to the upper portion of the front of the golf bag, as well as a carrying sling which is formed of an elongated strap connected between the top of the golf bag and a buckle slightly below the center of the front of the bag. Thus the bag can be carried either by placing an arm through the sling and carrying the bag on ones shoulder, or more simply, where the bag is to be moved for only a short distance, by grasping the shorter carrying handle.

The carrying handle is commonly incorporated into the golf bag structure by use of a reinforcing panel or fiber, or other semirigid material. When the bag bodyis assembled, the handle will then automatically be contained on the golf bag body.

The provision of a separate handle panel for the golf bag body requires an extra member which must be sewn into the golf bag body when the golf bag bodyis constructed. Moreover, considerable strength is required of this panel since the handle mustsupport the full weight of both the golf bag and the clubs to be contained therein. Therefore, the commonly accepted practice of fonning a golf bag handle as an in .tegral panel built into the golf bag body requires additional components and additional labor in the manufacture of the golf bag, and adds unnecessary weightto the golf bag.

In accordance with the present invention, a convenient carrying handle-which serves the purpose of presently existing carrying handles is built into the sling carrying structure, and is composed of a short strap having one end connected to the golf bag top and its lower end connected to a portion of the carrying sling. This then forms a carrying handle which is held close to the golf bag body to serve the purpose of presently existing carrying handles, while being relatively inexpensive and attractive in appearance. Moreover, the construction of the carrying handle in this manner does away with the need for an additional panel built into the golf bag body, and with the attendant weight, materials expense, and additional labor required in such builtin panels.

Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is to provide a carrying handle for golf bags which is at least partly a component of the carrying sling of the golf bag.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel strap arrangement for carrying a golf bag which includes a sling portion and a carrying handle portion.

A further object'of thisinverition is to provide a novel golf bag carrying handle which permits the user to pick the bag up at a point along the length of the bag which affords good balance for carrying the bag.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel carrying handle and carrying sling structure for golf bags which have an attractive appearance.

These and other objects of this invention will become ap parent from the following description when taken in connection with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a golf bag having the novel combined sling and carrying handle of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the sling and carrying handle construction and the adapter plate for connecting these members to the upper culf of the golf bag.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken across the section line 3-3 in FIG. 1, illustrating the connection of one of the bottom sling straps to the bottom cuff of the golf bag.

Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated a conventional golf bag adapted with the sling of the present invention. The golf bag 10 is conventionally provided with pockets 1] and 12 and has a closed bottom cuff l3 and an open top cuff 14 through which golf clubs can be inserted into the bag. The conventional golf bag, shown in the drawings, can be modified in any desired manner and still be adapted with the present invention.

In accordance'with the present invention, a combined carrying sling and carrying handle areconnected to the golf bag where the sling consists of sling member 20 having lower strap portions 21 and 22 and a carrying handle strap 23.

Referring first to the sling 20 and its lower members 2i and 22 which are generally conventional, the lower members 21 and 22 are connected to bottom cuff 13 in any desired manner, as shown in FIG. 3, for the case of lower strap 21. Thus the lower strap 21 is riveted to the bottom of bottom bag body and to cuff 13 by arivet 25. A finishing strip 26 may also be added, as illustrated, with sewn lines 27 and 28, sewing the bottom of the strip 26 to cuff l3 and with sewn line 29 securing the strip aroundthe reinforcing rod 30. In this manner, or in any other desired manner, the bottoms of straps 21 and 22 are secured to the bottom regions of the golf bag H0.

The upper ends of straps 21 and 22 are then secured to a common metal buckle 31 as by securing the upper ends of the straps by rivets, such as rivet 32 for'strap 2i. The carrying handle '23 is then formed of a single flexible strap made of leather, or the like, which has its upper portion passed through buckle 33 and its lower end doubled back upon itself through loop 34 which extends through buckle 31, with the loop 34 secured around buckle 31' by means of rivet 35. Loop 34 also contains a standard belt-buckle-type ring 36 and strap guide ring 37 which receives the lower end of sling strap 20.

The upper end of sling strap 20 is then riveted around the buckle 40 as by rivets 41 and 42, with buckle 40 further receiving snap clip 43 which can be adjustably clipped to the buckle 44. Both of buckles 33 and 44 are connected to the top of the bag by connection to a top cuff clip consisting of a U- shaped metal clip 50 covered by a leather finishing strip 51. One lower end of metal clip 50 has an upwardly bent lip 52 which receives buckle 33, while the buckle 44 is captured between the top of metal clip 50 and the top of top cuff 14. Members 50 and 51 are then secured to the top cuff 14 in the usual manner, as by riveting, shown in FIG. I in part by rivets 5S and 56. If desired, clip 50 could be made of separate sections, each riveted to the upper cuff .14, and each receiving rings 44 and 33 respectively.

The provision of this general type of support for the sling 20 is old and well known. The present structure differs from the prior art arrangements in the provision of buckle 33 connected to bent portion 52 of metal clip 50 and the connection of the bottom of strap 23 to the sling structure.

The length of straps 21 and 22 and the effective length of strap 23 are then arranged so that the straps lie close to the bag body, whereby strap 23 cannot be pulled more than a few inches away from the bag body wall. Thus, strap 23 serves as an effective carrying handle for the golf bag, replacing the previously used carrying handles which were built into the bag body.

The sling 20, of course, acts as the old and well known sling structure, its construction being substantially identical to that used in prior art. It will be apparent that the dual strap arrangement 21 and 22 could be replaced by a single strap which connects buckle 31 to the bag bottom. The dual strap arrangement is shown in FIG. 1 since this type arrangement permits access to pocket 12, although any other suitable design could obviously be used.

Iclaim:

l. A sling and carrying handle for a golf bag; said golf bag comprising a generally tubular body having a top cuff and a bottom cuff; said sling comprising a flexible strap having one end thereof connected to said top cuff of said golf bag and another end thereof connected to said bottom cuff of said golf bag; and said carrying handle comprising a flexible strap generally positioned along said tubular body and in line with and beneath said sling; said carrying handle having a top end connected to said top cuff of said golf bag, and a bottom end connected to an intermediate portion along the length of said sling, the length of said carrying handle from said top cuff to said intermediate portion along said sling-together with the length of said sling from said intermediate portion to said bottom cuff being about equal to the distance between said top and bottom cuffs, whereby said carrying handle is held close to said body of said golf bag along the length thereof for limiting to a few inches the amount by which said handle can be pulled from the tubular body of said golf bag, and the length of said sling being substantially greater than the distance between said top and bottom cuffs, whereby said sling may be extended out from the tubular body of said golf bag for easy fitting over a carriers shoulder.

2. The device of claim 1, which includes a clip secured over the rim of said top cuff of said golf bag; said top end of said carrying handle and said top end of said sling being connected to said clip.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said sling is composed of first and second lengths of flexible material connected to said top and bottom cuffs of said golf bag, respectively, and connected to oneanother at their opposite ends; the bottom end of said'carrying handle strap being connected to said sling at the connection between said first and second lengths, which defines the intermediate portion along the length of said sling.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein said first length is substantially longer than said second length for providing said sling extension between said top'lcuff and said connection for said easy shoulder fitting.

5. The device of claim '3 which includes a single metal buckle for connecting together the bottom end of said carrying handle, the top end of said second length of said sling and the bottom end of said first length of said sling. 

